New U.S. Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens Applying for Scholarship and/or Financial Aid

New US Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens

Financial Aid Application Deadline: March 1st

Applying for federal and institutional financial aid (grants, scholarships, work study and loans) is easy. All incoming students are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or CSS Profile.

Financial Aid Process and Procedures

The financial aid process can be intimidating, especially when you have no idea where you are in the process, what else needs to be completed, or when you will find anything out. This section is to help you with the understanding of the financial aid process and time frame from start to finish.

Complete the Applications

Prior to the March 1st financial aid application due date, be sure to complete the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile. Before you actually start to complete the applications be sure to have your (and your parents if an undergraduate student) prior year’s tax information easily accessible. Complete the appropriate application based on your start date for the fall semester of the upcoming school year.

Tips for completing the online applications

Make sure you put Manhattan School of Music on the applications; otherwise we will never know you completed the steps

Make sure to electronically sign and fully submit the application

Even if your taxes are not finalized by March 1st you should still complete the application using estimated income. It is better to have estimated data than no data at all

If you are worried that you did something wrong, please contact us and we will check on your application for you. Just give us 3-4 business days after you submit your application, that is how long it takes for us to receive your information after submission.

Review of the Applications

During the month of March the Office of Financial Aid is completing a review of your financial aid application(s). It is during this time that we are analyzing the information to determine both types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive. These types of aid include grants, scholarships, work study, and loan options. This process is done simultaneously as the Admissions acceptance process. Financial Aid results become available at the same time as Admissions results (typically April 1st of each year).

Notification of Aid

I have been accepted and received my financial aid notification letter/eligibility. What is next?

Now is decision making time. What aid is best, what are the terms of the loans, how much loan money do I need, what are my savings like, can we make payments? All of these questions are hard and important to be asked and discussed with your parent(s) or guardian(s).

For a detailed description and definition of the types of aid you might be eligible for, look into our Types of Aid website. This is a great starting point when figuring it all out. Then call us, the Financial Aid Office is here to talk to you so you can get the answers, options, and processes for every type of aid.

Getting Ready for the School Year

We have now made our decisions and know the types and amounts of aid that we want to accept. Now what do we do?

First return a signed copy of the financial aid notification letter that was sent to you accepting the types, amounts, and conditions of your financial aid awards.

If you are accepting grants, scholarships, or work study that is the only thing that we need. If you will be utilizing student loans to help finance your education, there are a few additional steps that are needed:

Entrance Counseling gives you your rights and responsibilities as a loan borrower

The MPN promises you will pay the loan back under those terms

To accept the Direct Parent or Grad PLUS loans

Go to www.studentloans.gov and complete the PLUS Request/Application Process and sign a Master Promissory Note

The PLUS Request/Application Process collects your information and runs a basic credit check on the borrower. Click here for the credit requirements for a PLUS loan

The MPN promises you will pay the loan back under those terms

To accept the Federal Perkins Loan

Nothing needs to be done over the summer. During orientation you will be given the loan documents to complete while on campus.

In some instances a student is selected for a process called verification. This process requires additional documentation where the Office of Financial Aid confirms or verifies that the information submitted on the FAFSA is accurate. In this case the student (and parent if applicable) will need to complete a verification worksheet and have the prior year tax information verified. Click here for the specifics of verification, how you are notified of the requirement, and what to do if selected.

Financial Aid on My Bill

Financial Aid will only be able to be applied to your bill if all of the above steps have been completed for each type of aid. Your financial aid will be posted as anticipated financial aid on your student billing worksheet found at www.msmstudents.com> College Student > My Info.

Please, ASK QUESTIONS if you do not understand any part of our application process. We understand that the scholarship/financial aid process is, at times, frustrating and intimidating. We want to assist and support you from start to finish. It is our goal to make applying for scholarship and financial aid as pleasant and painless as possible. If you have suggestions or comments, or if you experience problems, please call our office at 917-493-4809. Financial Aid counselors are available to assist you.